


The Humor of Potion Shopping

by TallyAce



Series: LU Creative Train (Fluff Track) [4]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26639497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyAce/pseuds/TallyAce
Summary: It's only after agreeing to help Twilight with errantry and subjecting himself to stumbling around an obnoxiously busy Castle Town that Hyrule realizes he is definitely NOT comfortable in crowds. He needs an escape, he needs something he can focus on to drown out the noises of the streets.The healer turns to one of the few things he knows well, potions.(Prompt: HealerA fic written for the LU Creative Writing Train.)
Series: LU Creative Train (Fluff Track) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938025
Comments: 14
Kudos: 86





	The Humor of Potion Shopping

The thick smell of brewing potions almost made Hyrule want to gag. It was inescapable, wafting from the bubbling cauldrons that lined the small shop and clinging to the very air itself. The curdled smell burned Hyrule’s throat with each and every breath. It stuck to his clothes, and he wasn’t sure he would ever smell normally again. 

Though as bad at the smell was, Hyrule had business in the potion shop. 

The plants in the corner of the shop seemed unbothered by the stench, showing not even a single sign of wilting. Various trinkets and oddities lined the numerous shelves, stacked atop piles of books and scrolls haphazardly. 

The light streaming through the small windows caught in the numerous strands of vibrant crystals hanging from every inch of the ceiling. They sparkled in an endless rainbow of hues, clinking against each other and the empty metal cages as they swayed on the thin strands of twine holding them up. 

The cool, almost comforting colors of the shop clashed horribly with the dirty yellow and orange rug below Hyrule’s feet. It was a disgusting looking thing, as if the old woman who ran the shop hadn’t bothered to wash it out in over a decade. The corners and edges frayed out in each and every direction, leaving the rug lopsided and falling apart. Hyrule couldn’t even begin to count the number of stains that covered the matted wool, and he could only hope that the various red splotches were from potions and not an old murder scene. 

Though, knowing his luck, he was most likely standing in an old murder scene. 

“Are you almost done?”

Hyrule turned toward the muffled voice, setting a short, wide vial of pale yellow liquid back onto the cluttered counter he had grabbed it from. He held back a grimace seeing the poor state of Twilight. The farmhand had his pelt pulled over the bottom half of his face, a hand clasped firm over his nose and mouth. His eyes looked like they were on the verge of watering, but Twilight kept rapidly blinking the tears away. 

“Yeah, just waiting on Granny,” Hyrule paused, before nodding his head toward the exit, “I can handle the rest if you need me to.” 

He felt selfish, keeping Twilight locked in that room when he obviously hated each and every second of it. 

Twilight seemed to genuinely consider evacuating the shop and leaving Hyrule to fend for himself against the shopkeeper. He stared at the door plastered from top to bottom with old flyers for ‘upcoming’ street performances and more recent wanted posters. 

Shaking his head slowly, he turned back to Hyrule, his grip over his mouth even tighter. “Just hurry.” 

How fast the shopkeeper took to refill all their empty bottles was really out of Hyrule’s control, but he nodded anyway. The old woman—who’d insisted they call her Granny—had hobbled back behind the heavy red curtains long ago, her arms filled with empty glass bottles. It was a blessing that Hyrule and Twilight’s bags both could hold  _ much _ more than it seemed, because Hyrule highly doubted they could’ve carried those thirty bottles to Castle Town and back without breaking a few. 

. . . The heroes had a lot of bottles. 

The bag of rupees at Hyrule’s hip clinked and shifted each time he fidgeted, and he found himself holding it still subconsciously. They weren’t running low on rupees anytime soon, thank the goddess for that, but deciding to restock all their potions in one go was going to put a sizable dent in the group’s pockets. 

Though being tight on money was better than being dead, in Hyrule’s humble opinion. 

The curtains behind the counter flew open with more strength than Hyrule expected, the heavy fabric nearly knocking over an unlit candelabra. The old, shriveled shopkeeper hobbled out from the backroom, her face completely hidden by the mountain of potions in her arms. 

Granny was the definition of a scraggly old woman, her stubby button nose covered in scars and warts and her thin grey hair plastered to her face. Even though she looked older than the dirt itself, she held a warm smile in her eyes as she set the potions carefully onto the counter. She took the time to arrange them neatly into rows, and neither Hyrule or Twilight had the heart to stop her. 

She dryly licked her lips as both Twilight and Hyrule stepped closer to the counter. A small smile pulled against her sagging cheeks and wrinkled eyes as she pushed the potions forward. 

“That’ll be seventeen-hundred rupees, dearies.” 

At least Wild and Warriors had a lot of money. They wouldn’t notice if Hyrule blew a chunk of it on potions. 

. . . He hoped. 

Hastily counting through his rupees, Hyrule slid them across the counter. He couldn’t help but continue to shoot Twilight quick glances, watching as the farmhand grew more and more uncomfortable. He was no longer holding a hand over his mouth, but he looked even worse off. Hyrule understood not wanting to offend Granny, but he really wished Twilight had just stepped outside instead. 

Twilight had made no indication beforehand that he didn’t like strong smells, never voicing it in all the time that Hyrule had known him. If Hyrule had known, he wouldn’t have drug Twilight into the eerie looking shop in the first place. 

“Thank you kindly,” the woman pulled the rupees closer to her, bowing her head as Hyrule began cramming as many of the potions as possible into his bag. 

Twilight was quick to join in, and in no time at all the old woman stared at the two boys, surprised. She had no time to say anything, however, as Twilight bowed his head, muttering a quick thanks before practically racing to the door. He ripped it open, disappearing into the winding ally and leaving Hyrule standing in the center of the shop. 

The old shopkeeper stared at Hyrule as he hesitated to leave, his bag clutched tightly in his arms. He stood at the edge of the rug, the toes of his boots scuffing against the hardwood and the heels sinking into the vulgar fabric. The light streaming through the door washed the room in a harsh midday glow, drowning out the serene purples and blues that had filled the air before. 

He could already hear the noises of town bouncing through the narrow stone streets, high squeals and booming shouts echoing in his ears. 

“May I help you with anything, dearie?”

Hyrule jumped, spinning around to face the shopkeeper before relaxing with a sign. “Ah, no,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank you for the potions.” 

The old woman simply hummed, her attention returning to the hefty book she had been reading before the two heroes had arrived. It looked important, with it’s bright green cover and elegant gold calligraphy, but it couldn’t have been  _ too _ important to be in the hands of an old potion maker who hid out in the alley. 

Bowing one last time to the shopkeeper, Hyrule left the tucked away shop, shutting the door gently behind him. He let his hand rest on the rusted door knob as he searched around for where Twilight had run off to. 

Hyrule didn’t have to search for long, finding Twilight standing just a few paces away from the shop, scanning the pungent building up and down. “Never even knew this existed . . .” He trailed off, before shooting Hyrule a small smile, “You’ve got a good eye.” 

He was so calm, so collected, it was almost easy for Hyrule to believe that Twilight’s reaction in the potion shop had never even happened. Despite how endless questions bounced around Hyrule’s head, he kept quiet. It was obvious that Twilight didn’t want to talk about it, and so Hyrule happily obliged. As curious and worried he was, if Twilight didn’t think it was important enough to talk about, they wouldn’t.

Hyrule shrugged, glancing up at the crumbling sign that squeaked above the door. Nothing about it indicated that it marked a potion shop, the colors long since faded and the writing complete cucco-scratch. Aside from the small sign, the building looked no different than any other building in Castle Town. No bright colors, no banners, no outdoor plants, nothing.

It was only thanks to sheer dumb luck that Hyrule had barged into the one shop he needed, and not some poor soul’s home. He was grateful that Twilight had seemed to humor him when Hyrule said that he “ _ knew where he was going. _ ” He’d just been making an excuse to find a way off the busy streets, to have just a moment of peace. 

Granny’s shop had been unexpected, but by the goddess was Hyrule thankful for it. 

“Let’s get going,” Twilight nodded his head toward where the alley led to the bustling streets. “I’d like to have some time to visit Telma before heading back to the others.” 

Swallowing his discomfort, Hyrule nodded. He fell into step behind Twilight quickly, following as closely as he could as the farmhand followed the snaking road like it was second nature. Even as tense as Hyrule was, he had to admit that the architecture of Twilight’s Castle Town was grander than anything he had seen. 

The castle of Hyrule’s land paled in comparison to the towering silhouette of the castle that stood stark against the vast horizon. The maze-like layout of the town reminded Hyrule too much of the disorienting palaces that he’d traversed before, twisting and turning in ways that made it hard to remember where he had already been, and where he was trying to go. 

He heard the crowd before he saw it, letting out a sigh as he prepared himself to endure just a bit more. As Twilight seamlessly merged into the crowd, Hyrule began struggling to keep up. He ducked and weaved between people with endless apologies spilling from his lips. 

It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, Hyrule kept bumping into someone. First it was the frail old man who’d been too hunched over for him to see, then it’s been the burly knight who’d nearly dropped their shield after Hyrule ran directly into their back. 

The gap between him and Twilight only grew wider with each small trip and fumble, and Hyrule grew more and more sure that he was going to live in the Castle Town streets for the rest of his life. As awful as Granny’s shop had smelled, Hyrule wished more than anything that he was back there.

It was only after Twilight stopped in front of a large building that Hyrule was given a chance to catch up. Hyrule’s chest heaved as he pulled himself from the crowd to stand next to Twilight, who pushed him in a gentle, teasing manner. 

“Get lost?” Twilight laughed, though Hyrule was too frazzled to see the humor in the situation. 

“Just fell behind,” Hyrule muttered, standing up straight with a sigh. 

Twilight fell silent for a few moments, watching Hyrule’s fidgeting hands and constant shifting. “Sorry,” he eventually said, “I should’ve slowed down.” 

Hyrule shrugged, “You’re fine.” 

The door to the building swung open as two kids sped out into the streets, their tired looking mother rushing to catch up and keep a grip on the large parcel in her arms. Hyrule shot a glance to the large, ornate sign outside the shop, raising an eyebrow as he turned back to look at Twilight. 

“What do we need a butcher for?” 

Twilight didn’t immediately answer. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning up at the butcher shop sign before pulling out their list. They still had quite a ways to go to finish off the list, only really having scratched off three things total. 

“Wild wanted some fresh cucco—” Twilight grinned, stepping back from the butcher “—but I don’t feel like shopping anymore.” 

“. . . What?” 

Without another word Twilight extended a hand to Hyrule. Hyrule awkwardly stared at Twilight’s outstretched hand, wondering just what made the farmhand flip plans so quickly. 

“Do— Do you want me to  _ hold _ your hand?” 

Twilight laughed, bending down just so he was level with Hyrule. “Humor me.” 

Embarrassment washed across Hyrule’s face, and he found himself looking to see if anyone was watching. He nearly jumped as Twilight’s hand wrapped around his own, the heat spreading to the tips of his ears. This was ridiculous, he was a hero for goddess sake. He didn’t need someone holding his hand as if he were a kid. 

“Twi, I don’t need you to—” 

Hyrule was cut off as Twilight pulled against his arm, dragging him away from the butcher and back into the Castle Town chaos. He fumbled to keep up at first, but Hyrule found himself more easily weaving through the crowd. Twilight cut through the streets like a warm knife through butter, the people parting for him with no problem. 

And with Hyrule latched onto his arm, the Traveler had no problems keeping pace.

He felt the embarrassment fade as he tightened his grip on Twilight’s hand. As silly as it was, Hyrule was almost tempted to shut his eyes and trust that Twilight would guide him safely. He didn’t, because that would’ve been cowardly—to hide away because he didn’t want to watch the sea of people rushing by. 

“What sort of potions did you buy at Granny’s?” 

The question caught Hyrule off-guard, and he found himself struggling to find an answer. “A lot?” 

Twilight snorted, turning a corner slowly to make sure Hyrule followed suit. The crowd seemed to thin out as the two heroes wove through the streets, and Hyrule found it much easier to breathe without strangers bumping against him every few seconds. 

“You know, I used to be bad with crowds too,” Twilight leaned over to say as he continued to drag the poor Traveler around with no explanation as to where they were going. “Country bumpkins and the big city don’t really mix well.” 

“Really? You seem right at home here . . .” Hyrule sighed, careful not to trip over an unfilled pothole that poked out from the cobblestone path. “How’d you— How’d you get better?” 

“It’s not something that just goes away, I still struggle with it at times. But when it was really bad, I had someone to help me.” Twilight slowed his pace to walk side-by-side with Hyrule, a sad smile on his lips. “She kept my mind on other things whenever I would feel overwhelmed.” 

He turned his head to the side to smile at Hyrule, his brief sadness replaced with a more neutral happiness. “So, I’ll ask again. What sort of potions did you buy back there? That shimmery one looked interesting.” 

If Hyrule was being completely honest, there were many potions that he had no idea what they did. The only things he had to go off of for quite a few of them were poorly written sheets of paper that the old woman had stuck to their bottles. 

But . . . he could talk potions, that wasn’t hard.

“She called that one a guardian potion I think? She said it would give whoever drinks it thicker skin for a bit.” 

“That’s . . . interesting.” 

“It was two-hundred rupees for one bottle, so I just got one,” Hyrule laughed. “Hopefully it works.” 

Twilight let out a low whistle, leading Hyrule around yet another turn. “Pricey. Wonder how we could use that.” 

Hyrule shrugged, “Keeping warm, maybe?” 

“Or taking a few extra hits?” 

Both of them stopped, exchanging a ‘look’ before nodding. Yeah, if it was the latter, it was all Wild’s. He was too reckless for his own good. 

. . . Though they all were, so Hyrule really had no room to judge. 

They continued to talk potions for a few minutes, Twilight asking an occasional question to keep the conversation going as Hyrule rattled off as much as he could remember. The conversation only stopped when Twilight did. He let go of Hyrule’s hand, gesturing to the unassuming wooden building in front of them. 

“Alright, we’re here,” he proudly announced, beaming at Hyrule. “And we’re out of the crowds now, hardly anyone comes around here.” 

Hyrule felt both proud of himself and confused at the same time. On one hand, he didn’t feel like curling up in a ball for twenty years after passing through the crowd, but on the other, he had no clue why Twilight had drug him all the way to the other side of town. 

“Where exactly is ‘here?’” 

The wooden double doors creaked as Twilight pushed them open, revealing a large, well-lit room. “The medical clinic.” 

Twilight continued inside before Hyrule could really question it. Shutting the door behind him as they entered, Hyrule couldn’t help but take in the numerous empty cots lining the walls. 

“Uh, why are we at the clinic?” 

Shrugging, Twilight made his way across the room and toward the screens blocking the left corner. “There’s someone here I want to annoy.” 

Hyrule froze in place, watching in shock as Twilight peeked his head into the corner without care. He . . . just wanted to  _ annoy _ someone? If Hyrule had been with Legend, or Wind, or shoot, even Time, he wouldn’t have given it a second thought. 

. . . But  _ Twilight _ ?

“Doctor?” 

A screech shook the screens around the corner as Twilight stepped back to avoid getting smacked in the face with a book. Hyrule crept forward as the screeching turned to endless stuttering and excuses. 

“You— You blackmailing hooligan! Tell Telma that my answer still hasn’t changed since the last time she hired you to strong-arm me!” 

The Doctor hobbled out from his small corner, jabbing a thin, knobbly finger at Twilight’s chest. “It’s the middle of summer, no one’s getting sick! She’ll just have to wait until the winter when business kicks back up.” 

“Actually—” Twilight pushed the Doctor’s hand away, nodding his head toward Hyrule “—we just came to say hi.” 

Hyrule shrunk back slightly as the squinty gaze of the Doctor landed on him. The Doctor’s thick glasses made his eyes seem comically large, yet strangely intimidating. 

“You pull this one off the streets?” The Doctor sneered, turning back to Twilight and completely ignoring Hyrule. 

Resting a hand on Hyrule’s shoulder, Twilight gestured toward the Doctor. “‘Rule, this is Doctor Borville, Castle Town’s only physician.” 

Still a little confused as to why they were even there in the first place, Hyrule held out a hand toward the Doctor. “Nice to meet you.” 

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively toward Hyrule, not sparing him a single glance more. “Yes yes, it’s a pleasure I’m sure,” he huffed, folding his hands behind his back. “Run along you two, I only have time for clients.” 

“Well, I was hoping you’d be able to spare some potions for some  _ clients _ such as ourselves, but if not . . .” Twilight shrugged, pulling Hyrule along as he turned back toward the clinic exit. “I guess we’ll just have to take our money elsewhere.” 

Hyrule frowned, “But, we already got potions from—” 

“Humor me,” Twilight whispered. 

The Doctor took the bait fairly quickly, rushing forward before the two heroes could even reach the door. “Wait— What exactly were you looking for?” 

Twilight let go of Hyrule as he turned back to face the Doctor, a smug smile on his face that Hyrule felt didn’t belong there at  _ all _ . “We were hoping that you’d have something that the other potion shops don’t carry.” 

“Please,” the Doctor scoffed, shaking his head. “You two couldn’t afford anything I carry even if your life depended on it.” 

“You’d be surprised,” Twilight nudged Hyrule’s shoulder, and the Traveler fumbled to unclip the rupee pouch from his belt. The Doctor’s attention snapped to the small bag, eyes following it like a hawk’s. 

“R-right,” the Doctor cleared his throat, motioning for the two to follow him as he began hobbling back to his corner. “This way, this way.” 

The Doctor was . . . interesting, Hyrule would give him that. As rude and arrogant as he was, he showed a genuine love for his craft. He rattled on and on about special elixirs and potions he had been working to perfect, hoping to see them hit the market in the near future. 

Sure, he only really wanted the money and fame the medicine would bring him, but medicine was medicine. 

They had to have spent nearly an hour in that desolate clinic, Twilight standing idly by as Hyrule and the Doctor talked non-stop about potions. As much as Hyrule grew to dislike the Doctor throughout their conversations, it was nice to have someone to talk to about his little interest. 

No one back in his world really stuck around him long enough to have a conversation like that. 

Castle Town was almost completely desolate as Twilight and Hyrule stepped back out onto the streets, their rupee bag a little lighter. The sun had dipped significantly lower in the sky, resting comfortably above the skyline. 

“He was a bit odd,” Hyrule remarked, tucking the two thin vials into his bag. 

“Awful man, refuses treatment of anyone who isn’t Hylian and rich.” Twilight stretched his arms over his head, glaring at the wooden doors behind them. “Can’t stand him.” 

“Then why—” 

Twilight shrugged, letting his arms drop to his side. “Wanted to give you a break from the crowd without burning my nose hairs off.” 

Shock and warmth flooded Hyrule’s heart, and he found himself not sure of what to say. So instead he reached forward, grabbing onto Twilight’s hand. 

The farmhand looked down at him in confusion, yet he made no move to pull his hand away. “You okay?” 

Hyrule nodded, smiling warmly as he squeezed Twilight’s hand, “Just . . . humor me.” 

Twilight beamed, nodding before turning his attention back to the streets. “Let’s go back to the others, we can finish shopping some other time.” 

The crowds didn’t bother Hyrule, not when he had someone to help guide him through them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, this was fun! I really enjoyed writing this and I'm so excited to read through all the amazing fics within this track!!!


End file.
